Track raising apparatus



y 1968 F. PLASSER ETAL 3,381,625

TRACK RAISING APPARATUS Filed July 21. 1965 5\ f K X 6 i l 1 i l H I i 9I u i J; W 13 a 13; a; 1\El [3 77 10 24 INVENTORS.

Agei

United States Patent 3,381,625 TRACK RAISING APPARATUS Franz Plasser andJosef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Vienna, Austria Filed July 21,1965, Ser. No. 473,584 Claims priority, application Austria, Aug. 7,1964, A 6,818/64 3 Claims. (Cl. 104-7) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Atrack raising apparatus comprising a track gripper and a jack supportingthe machine frame. The track gripper is moved upwardly in respect of themachine frame to raise the track and the jack cylinder is moved upwardlywith the track gripper for additional raising of the track while themachine frame is supported on the ballast.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raisingrailroad tracks, and more particularly to an improved support for theforward end of a mobile track tamping and grading machine.

Machines of this type and including vertically movable track grippingmeans mounted preferably at the forward end of the machine are known.Such machines have been used for track grading and are designed not onlyfor raising the track to a predetermined grade but for holding theraised track at the grade level while it is fixed in position by tampingan adjacent tie.

We have previously disclosed track grading machines wherein the tampingtools are mounted in a frame overhanging the front wheels of the machineso that a considerable portion of the machine weight is concentrated infront. When the track gripping means mounted at the front end of suchtrack tampers are operated to raise the track more than about fourinches or so, considerable stresses are applied to the overhangingforward end of the machine, which may become great enough to cause themachine to tip over, the weight of the overhanging machine portion addedto the weight of the lifted track becoming too large to be balanced bythe weight of the machine behind the front wheels and the latter acting,as it were, as the fulcrum of a lever.

The above and other disadvantages are overcome in accordance with thepresent invention by providing a support for the machine frame adjacentthe track gripping means. This frame support is mounted on the frame forvertical adjustment and includes a jack with a vertically movablesupport member engageable with the ballast.

In this way, the load is shared by the vertically movable track grippingmeans and the vertically movable support member, the load on each beingselected by selecting the forces applied to the respective track raisingmeans.

Tamper jacks as such are known. In one type of track liners using jacksto lift the track, a machine support member is lowered against theballast to lift the machine, track gripping means being mounted on themachine frame to engage the track so that the machine and the attachedtrack are raised simultaneously as the jack is operated. Such stationarytrack gripping means could be arranged anywhere, for instance on thejack cylinder.

With such track raising apparatus, no distribution of the load occurredand the entire pressure was exerted upon the ballast bed, as the machineframe and the attached track were lifted oif the bed. This made an evencompaction of the ballast impossible and, in addition, the machine didnot rest on the track with its full weight during the raising operation,which often caused a previously graded adjacent track section to beraised with the track section Patented May 7, 1968 ICC to be graded.This resulted in inaccuracies in the finished track grade.

Such inaccuracies can be avoided with tampers of the indicated type,wherein the heavy tamping tools and the track raising means are arrangedon a machine portion overhanging the front wheels, if the track sectionbehind the front wheels, which has previously been graded, remainsstationary while the track section underneath the overhanging machineportion is raised for grading. This is satisfactorily accomplished withthe combination of the two different track raising means arrangedadjacently in accordance with the present invention. I

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the presentinvention will become better understood when considered in the light ofthe following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the forward portion of a mobile track tampingand grading machine incorporating the features of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section, taken transversely to the direction of thetrack elongation, of a track raising means associated with one of thetrack rails, and a machine frame support.

The track raising apparatus is illustrated in connection with anotherwise conventional track tamping and grading machine having a frame1 mounted on wheels 24 for mobility on a track including a pair of rails10 and ties 12. resting on ballast 13. As is conventional, the machinehas an overhanging forward end holding ballast tamping tool means 19,the features and functioning of the latter not being described hereinsince they are well known and form no part of the present invention.

The track raising mechanism of this invention is mounted at the forwardend of the frame 1 and includes a carriage 3 mounted for free verticalmovement on vertical guide rod 2 affixed to the forward end of frame 1.One such carriage and guide rod are associated with a respective railengaging device associated with each rail 10, and a support beam 26extends transversely of the track and is journaled in the carriages 3, 3for vertical movement therewith.

Means is provided for vertically moving the carriages 3, 3 with thesupport beam 26, this means including a hydraulic jack connected to eachcarriage. As illustrated, each jack includes a cylinder 4 divided intotwo chambers by piston 5 moving in the cylinder under the pressure offluid supplied to a respective one of these chambers. The upper end ofeach cylinder is linked to frame 1 at 7 while the lower end of pistonrod 6 is linked to carriage 3. In this manner, the carriages and thesupport beam may be vertically moved upon selective supply of pressurefluid to the chambers of cylinder 4.

Each carriage 3 has pivotally mounted thereon a support bracket or web 8carrying generally conventional track gripping means so that the trackgripping means are vertically moved with the vertical movement of thecarriages. The illustrated track gripping means include a rail engagingdevice associated with each of the track rails 10, one such device beingshown in FIG. 2 and the other device associated with the second railbeing identical herewith. As is well known, such rail engaging devicesgrip the rails with a plier-like grip and continuously engage the railsduring forward movement of the machine with gripping rollers 11, 11.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a machine frame support com prising support beam26 extends transversely of the track and is journaled in carriages 3, 3whereby the beam is mounted on the forward end of the frame for verticalmovement in relation thereto. A bracket 14 at each end of the supportbeam 26 carries the cylinder 27 of a doubleacting jack with a verticallymovable support member 28 engageable with ballast 13 and moving incylinder 27 serving as a guide. This frame support is thus mounted onthe frame adjacent the track gripping means 9, 11, support jacks of thisgeneral type being known per se.

The support member is attached to the lower end of piston rod 29 whoseother end carries piston 30 which is vertically slidably mounted incylinder 27. Pressure fluid may be selectively supplied to therespective cylinder chambers through conduits 31 and 32 to lower thesupport member 28 into engagement with the ballast or to raise the sameoff the ground into a non-supporting position.

The general operation of track tampers and mobile track grading machinesof the described and illustrated type is well known and need not bedescribed herein. When the track is to be raised and a respective'tie isto be tamped during a track grading operation with a machine of thistype, pressure fluid is supplied to the lower cylinder chamber ofcylinder 4 to raise the rail engaging device 9, 11. Simultaneously,pressure fluid is supplied through conduit 31 to the upper chamber ofcylinder 27 to lower the support member 28 into engagement with theballast. Thus, the two jacks share the load, jack 4 carrying about 75%thereof .while about 25% of the raising work is done by jack 27.

While the present invention has been described in connection with aspecific embodiment, it will clearly be understood that manymodifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in theappended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for raising a track resting on ballast, comprising thecombination of:

(a) a machine frame mounted on wheels for mobility on the track;

(b) a track gripping means mounted on the machine frame for verticalmovement in respect of, and while supported directly on, the frame;

(c) a machine frame support including a vertically movable membersupporting the frame upon engagement with the ballast and a guidewherein said member moves; and

(d) means mounting the track gripping means and the guide for commonfree vertical movement in respect of the machine frame.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the machine frame has aforward end extending beyond the front wheels supporting the machineframe, the track gripping means and the machine frame support beingmounted on said forward end.

3. An apparatus for raising a track having two rails resting on ballast,comprising the combination of:

(a) a machine frame mounted on wheels for mobility on the track andhaving a forward end extending beyond the front wheels supporting themachine frame;

(b) a support beam extending transversely of the track and mounted onsaid forward end for vertical movement in respect thereof;

(0) means for vertically moving the support beam;

(d) a track gripping means mounted on the support beam, said trackgripping means including a rail engaging device associated with each ofthe track rails; and

(e) a machine frame support including a vertically movable membersupporting the frame upon engagement with the ballast and a guidefixedly mounted on the support beam, the vertically movable membermoving in said guide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,134,339 5/1964 Plasser et al.104--7 3,149,578 9/1964 Plasser et al. 1047 3,153,389 10/1964 Plasser eta1 1047 3,153,390 10/1964 Plasser et al 1047 3,230,895 1/1966 Stewart1047 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. R. A. BERTSCH, AssistantExaminer.

